Professor Layton and the Dances of the mind
by LuxMentis
Summary: A new adventure for Professor Layton! What if a strange letter is sent to a major a week before the beginning of the most important celebrations for his town? And what if he asks Layton to help him, even though they aren't friends anymore?
1. Trip to Beattown

**My first Layton's story! Hope you like it. It takes place after the events of the Unwound Future, but don't blame me if I don't know everything about the games, I didn't finish them! And I tell you, English's my second language, so please be kind! :D**

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"It's another request of help, professor." a young girl with a peach-coloured dress was sat on the yellow sofa of an office in Gressenheller University. To be precise, in professor Layton's office. Not that the professor was really listening. There were an uncountable number of there letters which he never opened. And since Luke was gone, he hadn't really cared for people who wrote of their problems. It was before Flora would decide to do it for him. "It comes from a certain Remus Beresford, from… Beattown." the girl was expecting the same answer as always: 'I don't have time, right now'. Which didn't arrive.

"Remus?" said the man instead, looking at her. "Would you mind to read it for me, my dear?".

Flora nodded, smiling inside.

_Dear Hershel,_

_I know it's been a while since we last met, and I know I should've been more polite with you. But I do need your help, now._

_I know you have been involved in many of the cases which were on the first page of the London Time, the news reached me even here in this little town. Let's be honest, who doesn't know you?_

_Anyway, I'm sure you know about the annual dances which are hold here in Beattown, and I'm sure as well you know how many people are there. It's a very important event for us, they come from everywhere to dance in those three days, even from London, where you live._

_The matter is a threatening letter I received about a week ago. Thought I know I can trust you, I'd like to be safe showing it to you personally. I ask you to reach the town as soon as you can, because if the threat is true, the destiny of the town and the dances is bad, as for the people who'll be here._

_Sincerely, Remus Beresford._

"That's it." concluded the girl.

The professor seemed frowned.

"May I ask who 'Remus' is? You seem to know each other pretty well."

"It's a long story which doesn't end nicely, I'm afraid." answered him, as Flora understood it was going to be his only explanation, at least for now. "What are you going to do, professor?"

"It seems serious. The Dances of Beattown are well-known and lots of people take part. If it is as he says, it could be dangerous for all of them." he said, letting out a little sigh. "I guess we could go there and check the situation.".

That's why they were on the Laytonmobile, heading to Beattown. A new adventure, actually the first one after Luke had left.

It has been a bad thing for the professor. It was bad even before the meeting with Claire, and after it he has been gloomy for quite a time. Flora had to learn how to cheer him up a bit, but it wasn't easy, mainly because she didn't ever know if he needed it. She also had to become his assistant, though she didn't even notice it. She collected his letters, made him tea,

Not that him and Luke had completely broken, they wrote to each other once or twice, but there was a ocean between them and letters didn't arrive that fast. They had almost give up. Nonetheless Layton wrote him before leaving London to explain where they were going and why. He let Flora write her lines as usual and sent it the same day of the departure.

After hours of travelling, they arrived to what seemed to be the road sign which showed the beginning of Beattown. A lot of little dancers were drown under the word. Just after that sign there were a lot of people who where working with festoons and lights. The Dances were going to begin the night after that one and each one was doing something to participate. They weren't probably aware about what was going on, if there was really something. Flora, who was sleeping when they get to the town, slowly opened her eyes. When she understood where she was, she sat straight on her seat and looked outside with curiosity. That was going to be a perfect celebration, if not for that thing of the letter.

The more they approached the main square, the more people they found. It was even hard to drive, so finally the professor decided to park in the quieter place he found, hoping to don't disturb the preparations.

The town wasn't new for him. It had a long uphill which leaded to the church and, more on, to a nice bar restaurant where you could buy some delicious cookies. On the left of the main road there was a big square where every year the people went to dance. On that square there were also a good music shop and a bakery, which in that moment where closed. On the other side of the square there were the elementary school and the town hall.

"That's where we're heading." he told Flora, almost yelling to be heard. She nodded and both began to push into the crowd to make their way, Layton's hand firmly holding Flora's. They didn't have much time to observe the building from the outside, so they just went inside.

It was fresher inside, though it was not even launch time. On the floor there was a red carpet which continued on the white stairs.

"Hershel Layton!" a male voice said, maybe the most panicked voice the professor and Flora had ever heard. "Thank goddess, you're here!"

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**Hope it wasn't too boring. Please R&R!**


	2. Maya's

**I don't own the characters of this fic, only the OCs.  
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Mr. Beresford seemed at least ten years older than the professor and had a strange kind of hair, black and shaggy. When they met him on the staircase he seemed also really tired.

"Wo's this beautiful young lady at your side?" he asked while showing them the way. They reached the biggest room of the town hall, another red carpeted room with a huge wooden table and a lot of comfortable chairs.

"She's Flora. She is my…" he was going to say 'daughter', but changed his mind when he thought about all the explanations he'd have to give to him, sooner or later. "…apprentice."

"Nice to meet ya." said him, shaking her and and showing her a seat. Then he turned to Layton. "I'm so glad you're here, you see, after what had happened I thought you'd never…"

"No need to talk about it now, Remus?" he stopped him. "You told me about a letter, didn't you?"

"Sure. Here it is." he put a hand in his shirt's pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "It says that during the Dances some evil force from the past will return, having a new weapon which will be able to control a mind… and it will destroy our town with all its people."

Layton read it carefully, without saying a word. At the end he understood the true reason for Remus to ask him help: the letter ended with 'The only person who can stop it is Professor H. Layton'. It wasn't signed, there was only a single letter.

"D." he mumbled. "May I take this for a while?" the man seemed to froze.

"You will help me, won't you?"

"I will. Because a true gentleman never ignore a request of help."

The air was fresh and the light of the sun was still around in Beattown. It wasn't late, maybe five PM. The professor and Flora were in the streets of the town, walking toward the guest-house which the major rented for them. The car was parked just in front of it, as the sunset the man had moved it closer. They had had launch in that nice restaurant on the top of the hill and went sightseeing a bit. It was a bit strange. They hadn't done that since Luke had left and Flora felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Professor, have you been here before? I mean, in this town." she asked finally, trying to ease a bit the atmosphere.

"Yes, I had. Last time I got here was few years ago, when Luke and I hadn't met you yet." he replied with a smile.

"And was him with you? Were you here to do something in particular?"

"Well, a old friend of mine had a bit of problems here and Luke and I had to help."

"And… was that friend Mr. Beresford?"

"Oh, no. He just tried to get in the way while we had to deal with her problem."

"…_her_?" so, the 'friend with a bit of problems' was a she.

"Yes." he answered quietly. Flora gave up talking noticing that gloomy mood of his showing out again. "Here we are." he said when they turned around the corner. He opened the red door with the inscription 'Maya's hostel' and let the girl enter. For that's what a gentleman does.

Suddenly, he felt like he was observed. He turned around, but seen nothing. It was getting even darker.

"Professor, has something happened?" asked Flora, noticing the serious look on his face.

"No need to worry, dear. Let's get inside."

The place was really nice, though not too magnificent. The hall was little and cozy, there was the reception, a coffee table not far away from the entrance and two little sofas in a corner, of the same color as Flora's dress. The professor let out a little smile. It was almost identical as he remembered it.

"Mr. Layton!" a cheerful female voice called them.

"Maya, it's nice to meet you again." Maya, the owner of the guest-house, was a woman on her late fifty with curly red hair and a big nose, below which you could always have seen a smile.

"Oh, how nice to see _you_ again! My niece missed a lot you puzzles. She had finished the book you gave her three day after you left."

"She surely is a clever girl." he nodded. He remembered about Kelly, a six year old girl with the most smart mind he had ever met. No surprise she had finished that puzzle book so quickly. "Let me introduce you Flora, my new apprentice."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Flora." replied the woman. "And what about that boy that was with you last time?" she asked, a bit confused.

"He had to move in USA because of his father's work, so I can't bring him with me anymore."

"That's a shame, I'm sure he had been happy to see the town again, especially in the days of the dances. This year he would have had fun even more, with that new attraction… it's something like a carousel, but the company which places it assures that it's going to be something special for the Dance's nights. Oh, are you here because of this event?"

"Indeed, we are." said the professor, cutting off Flora who was going to tell her the true reason. "Do you have any room for the two of us?"

"Sure I do! Remember that you're at Maya's, the best place where to have nice dreams!" she approached the desk and took two room keys. "Here, the most beautiful ones, at a special friendly-price!"

"Thanks a lot, Maya." he answered, taking the keys and handing one of them to Flora. At that very moment, a man walked in, going straight to the reception. He seemed a bit too impatient.

"Excuse me, I have to go now." with that, Maya left and went to the new arrived.

"Did you hear that, professor?" asked the girl, recalling him from his thoughts.

"Heard what?"

"That new attraction. It seems brilliant! Will I have the time to see it?"

"I guess we will have a lot of time to spend here, my dear."

The next day the town was even busier than the day before. A lot of foreigners were starting to arrive and the streets were literally full of people.

"I wonder how will they be able to dance in this mess." said the girl, looking around from the entrance of the town hall.

"Actually, the real dances are hold a little out of town, in a big square, much more bigger than this one. But all the people arrive here, so it's really crowded every year." answered the professor, but received no answer. He turned around, leaving his journal, and found no one where just a second before she was standing.

"Flora?" he immediately got up from the bench where he was sit and started to look around. He saw her run away in the distance. She would have surely got lost between all those people. He started running after her, calling her name with no results. Soon, he couldn't see her anymore.

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**Why has Flora run away? Will Layton find her soon? Next chapter things will be a bit more clear, and soon a new (old) character will be introduced. ****Please R&R! **


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